Nurses at Oshakati Intermediate Hospital‘s maternity ward are under investigation following the death of a baby two months ago under questionable circumstances.

The aggrieved family is considering pressing legal charges against the Ministry of Health and Social Services for damages due to alleged unprofessional conduct of the nurses involved in the incident.
Johannes Nangolo and his wife, Lucina Ndeiweda, lodged a complaint with the Health Professionals Council of Namibia (HPCN) following the death of their baby on 27 March 2012. They attributed the death of their baby boy to the unprofessional and negligent conduct of the nurses on duty who allegedly failed to assist the mother or even to call the doctor when the situation started to become desperate.
“I feel that the death of my still-born baby was caused by the nurses who failed to attend to my request to call the doctor and carry out their duties as supposed to be. I regard this act as a serious crime against me and my family,” said Ndeiweda in her affidavit.
The family consulted their lawyer, who in a letter dated 16 May 2012, advised them to first lodge a complaint with the HPCN. Informanté has seen a letter from the HPCN, dated 23 May 2012 and signed by the Registrar, E. Barlow, in which the health professional body pledged to proceed with an investigation into the allegations of unprofessional and negligent conduct on the part of the nurses involved.
“We have noted that you wish to claim general damages. Our office has no power to execute your claim and you are hereby advised to approach a lawyer to assist you in that respect,” advised the Registrar.
Details in the death certificate of the baby stated that he died of intra-uterine asphyxia which is roughly translated as a lack of oxygen in the blood or womb, which may result in loss of consciousness, suffocation and death.